Academicians and other speakers on Tuesday at a discussion emphasised adopting Liquefied Natural Gas and biofuel to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime vessels.
Addressing a workshop titled 鈥楻educing emissions, sailing forward: decarbonising Bangladesh鈥檚 maritime industry鈥�, they stressed that domestic fleets should be retrofitted and the International Maritime Organisation鈥檚 GreenVoyage funding should be utilised for research and development.
Ocean Centres Bangladesh, a platform working to advance sustainable ocean governance and maritime conservation, and Global Compact Network Bangladesh jointly organised the event in Dhaka city.
Managing director of Marinecare Consultants Bangladesh Ltd Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan at the workshop said that the maritime industry contributed significantly to greenhouse gas emissions with shipping alone accounting for around 3 per cent of global emissions.
Bangladesh as an emerging maritime nation faced growing greenhouse gas emissions from its shipping sector, he observed.
To address the challenge, the country needed to align with the international climate goals, including the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and also with the International Maritime Organisation鈥檚 aim at achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, he stated.
Chairman of oceanography department at Dhaka University Abu Hena Md Yousuf referred to projections, warning that emissions could surge by 90 to 130 per cent by 2050 without intervention.
Heavy fuel oil, the dominant marine fuel, released high levels of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and particulate matter, harming both the climate and human health, especially near ports, Abu Hena said.
Professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Mir Tareque Ali said that the country鈥檚 shipping sector faced a number of challenges in transitioning to cleaner alternatives.
He recommended a phased approach by adopting LNG and biofuels in the short term, transitioning to methanol and ammonia in the medium term, and investing in green hydrogen in the longer term.聽
Department of Shipping director general Md Shafiul Bari attended the event as chief guest.
Adjunct faculty at the shipping administration faculty of Bangladesh Maritime University Sayeed M Hassan moderated the workshop. Ocean Centres Bangladesh country lead Mohammad Abdur Razzak also spoke at the event, among others.
